Perceived effectiveness of psychotherapy: A function of suggestion?

Investigated the relationship between theoretical orientation and the perceived effectiveness of psychotherapy. 20 analytically oriented therapists and 20 behavior therapists listened to 2 taped excerpts of sessions labeled "early" and "late" sessions of either behavior therapy or psychotherapy and then rated the effectiveness of treatment. The interviews were constructed to be ambiguous and portray no personality change. Instructions to each group varied the suggestion of whether a behavior therapist or analytic therapist conducted treatment. Results indicated that suggestion of professional identification was ineffective in biasing therapeutic effectiveness ratings. Analytic therapists as a group judged therapeutic outcome more positively across both suggestions than did behavior therapists, which is interpreted as a greater predisposition to see change where none existed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Encountering difference in graduate training: Potential for practicum experience.

Psychotherapists attempt to cultivate sensitivity to difference in their work with diverse client populations. Developing therapists may also benefit from theoretical and practical encounters with difference during graduate training. Although graduate students may thrive in training institutions where orientations resonate with their intuitive understandings, valuable opportunities for growth emerge when students obtain practicum experience at sites using alternative approaches to psychotherapy. This article documents the challenges and opportunities met by one graduate student trained in existential, psychodynamic, humanistic, and sociocultural approaches, when she embarked on a practicum experience in a medical setting, where dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was the treatment of choice. She discusses professional growth, steps toward psychotherapy integration, and implications for graduate training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy integration in internships and counseling psychology doctoral programs.

Training directors from APA-accredited internships and counseling psychology doctoral programs reported on the status of doctoral training in psychotherapy integration. A mail survey was used to assess several areas related to psychotherapy integration, such as didactic and clinical training, faculty/staff theoretical orientation and hiring practices, student competency and evaluation, directors' beliefs about integrative/eclectic training, and internship admissions. Overall results show a positive attitude toward psychotherapy integration in predoctoral training and suggest that the foundations for further student development in psychotherapy integration exist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy integration in Portugal.

In answering five questions regarding the status of psychotherapy in Portugal, predominant theoretical orientations, standing of psychotherapy integration, and cultural issues, the author draws a brief sketch of the situation of psychotherapy in Portugal. It is stressed the increasing number of patients seeking therapy as well as the increasing number of professionals providing it, and a growing dialogue between psychologists and psychiatrists. In terms of theoretical orientations, the dominant ones are the analytic/dynamic and the cognitive-behavioral with an increasing number of therapists leaning towards integration. In terms of cultural issues relevant to psychotherapy, it could be said that a significant number of patients deal with issues related to the question of balancing "cooperation/proximity" and "agency/competitiveness," as well as matters of unassertiveness. From the standpoint of the author, major lessons learned from being in Sepi are flexibility, humility, sharing, and something close to the "bearable lightness of being..." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some comments on the use of untrained therapists.

A study by Poser, where chronic schizophrenics received group psychotherapy from both untrained and trained therapists, is discussed. The experimental design of the study is questioned: the time factor, male patients treated by female untrained therapists, dropouts, and selection of untrained therapists. The term "group psychotherapy" is poorly defined in this study, since the term covers a variety of therapeutic goals and orientations. The question of criteria becomes obscured. There is no clarification of the motives that bring psychotherapists to work with patients. The lack of clarity confuses workers in the field of psychotherapy since "help" is an ambiguous term which represents everything from compassion to personality change. Motivations and value systems of both patients and therapists must be considered in the type of study Poser has conducted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing Relationship Concerns in Individual Psychotherapy.

Many clients in individual psychotherapy present with relationship concerns but are not joined in psychotherapy by the partner in the problematic relationship. To increase clients' motivation for and satisfaction with individual psychotherapy, therapists must offer interventions that meet the clients' specific needs. This article presents an assimilative integration that uses L. Luborsky's (1984) core conflictual relationship theme approach to psychodynamic psychotherapy as its dominant theoretical orientation. Ideas and techniques from J. M. Gottman's (1998, 1999) sound marital house theory were integrated into the treatment to facilitate working through the client's core relationship conflicts. The integration proved useful in actively addressing relationship concerns within individual psychotherapy and in matching the client's readiness for change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diversity within African American, female therapists: Variability in clients' expectations and assumptions about the therapist.

Despite the presence of some literature that has addressed the characteristics of the African American female therapist, most psychotherapy training proceeds with the assumption that therapists are members of dominant groups, and most of the psychological and psychotherapy literature has been written by therapists and psychologists who come from dominant cultural perspectives. Not as much has been written about psychological paradigms or the process of psychotherapy from the perspective of the therapist who is not a dominant group member. This article explores both the common and divergent experiences that we, the authors, share as African American female therapists and the different reactions we frequently elicit in clients. We also explore how individual differences in our physical appearances, personal backgrounds, and different characteristics of our respective practices elicit distinct responses from clients that we believe are based on differences between us, despite the fact that we are both African American women. We believe that many of the stereotypes that affect perceptions of African American female clients also exist for African American female therapists. We will address how the intersection of gender, race, and sexual orientation of the client highlights the complexity of culturally competent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Self-disclosure in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Self-disclosure in psychotherapy by Barry A. Farber (see record 2006-11792-000). At one point or another, most therapists have wondered how much their patients are telling them and wrestled with how much they should reveal themselves to their patients. This book aims to provide an integrative and up-to-date review of the literature that has addressed these kinds of questions. By looking at patient, therapist, supervisee, and supervisor self-disclosure, Farber attempts to show both common and unique aspects of self-disclosure across the different parties involved in psychotherapy. Work from historical, clinical, research, and cultural perspectives comes together to provide readers with a multifaceted view of self-disclosure in psychotherapy. This book will be of interest to therapists, researchers, psychotherapy supervisors, and therapists-in-training. Farber's discussion of self-disclosure offers a nuanced perspective on the dilemmas involved in the psychotherapy process. By highlighting the features of self-disclosure across patients, therapists, supervisees, and supervisors, Farber enriches understanding of the phenomenon and encourages empathy for the perspectives of those in other psychotherapy roles. We believe that Farber has successfully synthesized work from various perspectives to create an illuminating review of self-disclosure in psychotherapy. The book condenses a broad range of literature into clearly organized and digestible chapters. The integration of research and theory with clinical vignettes, quotations from books and movies, and popular song lyrics make this work an unusually engaging and accessible read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived influence of life experiences on clinical psychologists' selection and development of theoretical orientations.

Investigated the types of life experiences perceived by 31 male and 9 female behavioral and psychodynamic (PD) psychologists as influential in the development of their theoretical orientation. Half of the Ss were experienced therapists (aged 31–59 yrs); the other half were clinical psychology graduate students. Ss completed a theoretical orientation survey and a checklist of variables influencing the selection of a theoretical orientation and were also interviewed individually. Results show that therapists in the PD group (1) reported significantly more mental illness in members of their families of origin, (2) offered significantly more personal as opposed to professional reasons for seeking therapy, (3) reported significantly more conflict within their families of origin when compared with therapists in the behavioral group, and (4) reported seeking personal therapy more often (95%) than therapists in the behavioral group (40%). Implications for training of therapists are discussed. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Play therapists' self-perceived multicultural competence and adequacy of training.

Explored the self-perceived multicultural competencies and adequacy of multicultural training of play therapists across the United States. Registered play therapists belonging to the Association for Play Therapy (N=134) completed the Multicultural Counseling Survey (MMCTS) (C. C. Holcomb-McCoy & J. E. Myers, 1999). Results indicate that play therapists perceive themselves as competent on Multicultural counseling competence. The results also suggest that play therapists perceived their multicultural training as less than adequate. Although results indicate no difference between play therapists' competence and training based on years of experience, there was a difference in multicultural competence and training based on coursework in multicultural counseling. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The next generation of SEPI: Integrationists from the "get go."

A generation of integrative therapists developed inside the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI) and the psychotherapy integration movement emerged the last couple of decades. These integrationists from the "get go" represent a new model of integrative development, which comes to complement the traditional route of "single theorist gradually turns integrationist." This series of articles presents the developmental journeys, future plans, and views about psychotherapy integration of four such integrative scientist-practitioners, in an effort to inspire the next generation of SEPI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Larsson, Kaldo, and Broberg (2009).

Reports an error in "Similarities and differences between practitioners of psychotherapy in Sweden: A comparison of attitudes between psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapists" by Billy P. M. Larsson, Viktor Kaldo and Anders G. Broberg (Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 2009[Mar], Vol 19[1], 34-66). The results of the post hoc tests were printed illegibly. In order to make it possible for the reader to understand which of the effect sizes belong to which of the comparisons, the tables are clarified in this erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-03150-003.) This study focuses on similarities and differences between Swedish psychotherapists of four orientations: psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapy. The aim is to describe similarities and differences regarding (a) background factors, (b) focus in psychotherapy, (c) attitudes toward psychotherapy as art/craftsmanship, (d) scientific outlook, (e) what characterizes a good psychotherapist, and (f) how psychotherapy ought to be pursued. The therapists had very similar attitudes about the therapeutic relationship and rather similar attitudes about which effects psychotherapy ought to obtain. The greatest differences were related to psychotherapeutic techniques and science. The results are discussed with emphasis on the distance or proximity between the orientations. The conclusion is that there are differences between psychodynamic psychotherapy compared with cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapies, which imply difficulties in integrating these orientations. However, the differences between the cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapists are not of such a magnitude that they necessarily present an obstacle to integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Brief psychotherapies: Principles and practices.

Reviews the book, Brief psychotherapies: Principles and practices by Michael F. Hoyt (2009). Despite the evident desire of many clients to address their issues in as time-efficient manner as possible (even one session), most therapists are trained to deliver psychotherapy via longer-term models of practice. Although more graduate programs than in the past are beginning to offer training in brief therapy, in many instances this is a one course elective without related practical experience. Hoyt’s book provides a wide-angle overview of the field of brief therapy, as well as an up close look at one of its most prominent models (Solution-Focused Therapy). In doing so, it could serve as a centerpiece for courses in brief psychotherapy. Time sensitive therapy fits in a time sensitive world—a world in which both the clients and funders of services want problems to be addressed in as focused a way as possible. This book teaches therapists a great deal about how to navigate in that world. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy integration as practiced by experts.

Twenty-four psychotherapists who were experts in psychotherapy integration and had a mean of 32 years of clinical experience completed a questionnaire assessing their practice history and fidelity to various psychodynamic, cognitive–behavioral, humanistic, and family systems theories. They then completed the 100-item Psychotherapy Process Q set (Jones, Hall, & Parke, 1991) modified to be a self-report questionnaire, based on a client they had treated using integrative therapy. Most therapists reported some influence of all 4 orientations, but almost three-quarters indicated that only 1 was a salient influence. Principal components factor analysis revealed 4 factors representing 4 integrative practice styles, which were then correlated with prior prototypes of cognitive–behavioral, psychodynamic, and interpersonal therapies. The first factor, accounting for just over half the variance, most resembled cognitive–behavioral therapy. The second factor shared elements of several orientations, whereas the third factor most resembled psychodynamic therapy. The responses of more than half the therapists loaded on more than 1 factor. Findings demonstrate a diversity of theoretical influences and practices among these experts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Similarities and differences between practitioners of psychotherapy in Sweden: A comparison of attitudes between psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapists.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 19(3) of Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (see record 2009-16521-006). The results of the post hoc tests were printed illegibly. In order to make it possible for the reader to understand which of the effect sizes belong to which of the comparisons, the tables are clarified in this erratum.] This study focuses on similarities and differences between Swedish psychotherapists of four orientations: psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapy. The aim is to describe similarities and differences regarding (a) background factors, (b) focus in psychotherapy, (c) attitudes toward psychotherapy as art/craftsmanship, (d) scientific outlook, (e) what characterizes a good psychotherapist, and (f) how psychotherapy ought to be pursued. The therapists had very similar attitudes about the therapeutic relationship and rather similar attitudes about which effects psychotherapy ought to obtain. The greatest differences were related to psychotherapeutic techniques and science. The results are discussed with emphasis on the distance or proximity between the orientations. The conclusion is that there are differences between psychodynamic psychotherapy compared with cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapies, which imply difficulties in integrating these orientations. However, the differences between the cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapists are not of such a magnitude that they necessarily present an obstacle to integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapist orientation and expectations for liked and disliked patients.

Two fictional intake summaries were presented to either psychodynamically (n?=?32) or cognitive-behaviorally oriented (n?=?22) psychotherapists. Therapists rated the personality attributes of and expectations for the course of therapy with these potential patients. Therapists were less inclined to treat hypothetical patients whom they did not like, even though they believed these individuals to be in greater need of psychotherapy. When imagining themselves working with less liked patients, therapists expected to feel less confident of their skills and were more concerned that such patients would engage in countertherapeutic activities. Cognitive-behavioral therapists were somewhat more likely to differentiate between liked and less liked patients in their expectations for the course of therapy than were psychodynamic therapists. Implications for the provision of psychotherapy services are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Countertranferance Among Play Therapists: Implications for Therapist Development and Supervision.

This study examined countertransference management among play therapists. Registered Play Therapist Supervisors (N=154) completed the Countertransference Factors Inventory-Revised and a demographic survey regarding a recent supervisee. The areas explored included countertransference management with regard to therapist gender, academic degree, license, theoretical orientation, type of supervision, population served, practice setting, play therapy training, and experience. A moderate positive correlation of 53% was found between play therapy training and countertransference management. A low positive correlation of 27% was found between years of experience and countertransference management. Differences were found among groups in the areas of degree, license, and practice setting. No significant findings were obtained for gender, theoretical orientation, population served, and type of supervision. The study provides recommendations and implications for supervision of developing play therapists, and suggestions for future research in the area of countertransference among play therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)